1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a latch mechanism, and more particularly to a latch mechanism for securing the door of a cabinet such as a heated cabinet used in the food service industry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heated cabinets are well known in the food service industry. Although in some instances, such heated cabinets may be used for cooking food, in many instances they are used for maintaining cooked foods at an elevated temperature prior to food service.
Because of the opportunity for contamination of food contained therein, it is essential that such cabinets be easy to clean and maintain free of contaminants. More specifically, it is essential that each component of the cabinet be easy to clean and maintain. One especially undesirable source of contamination is that from insects and other vermin. It is therefore a requirement that each component be designed to prevent insects and other vermin from entering the cabinet. Still further, it is desirable that each component be simple in design and operation, and inexpensive to manufacture.
Numerous cabinet latch designs are known in the prior art. However, known latch designs for cabinets of the class described generally suffer from at least one of the following drawbacks: difficulty in cleaning or maintaining clean, failure to adequately prevent insects and other vermin from entering the cabinet, complexity of design, complexity of operation, or high manufacturing costs. Therefore, a need exists for an improved latch for such a cabinet, having a simple, inexpensive design which is easy to clean and effectively precludes insects and other vermin from entering the heated cabinet.